Singletree and horse-detacher.



No. 688,l87. Patented Dec. 3, |90I. A. D. MADDOX.

SINGLETREE AND HORSE DETACHER.

(Application med sept. 2s, 1901.)

l Mw MMC. @wifi M WZ7 RED STATES PATENT Enron.

ALBERT D. MADDOX, OF HOLLADAY, TENNESSEE.

SINGLETREE AND HORSE-.DETACHEFL SPECEFIGATION forming part of LettersPatent No. 688,187, dated December 3, 1901.

Application led September 28,1901. Serial No. 76,885. (No model.)

T0 all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT D. MADDOX, a citizen of the United States,residing at Holla- 'day,in the county of Benton and State of Tennessee,have invented new and useful Improvements in Singletrees and HorseDetachers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to singletrees and horse-detachers, being acombination of a singletree with horse-detaching devices; and itconsists in certain improvements in the construction of such devices, ashereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents a plan view showing myimproved singletree and detacher in connection with the shafts of avehicle. Fig. 2 is a rear view of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail view of ahook and its connections. Fig. t represents one of the croffs or clipsemployed to secure certain parts of the singletree to the cross-bar towhich the shafts are secured.

A designates the vehicle-shafts, which are connected by a cross-bar B,the ends of which are secured to said shafts. The singletree is formedof a bar C and two crooked bars D, each of the latter having its inwardend pivotally connected with one end of the bar C by a bolt a. YAs willbe seen, the bar C is supported in position by the bars D somewhat abovethe plane of the cross-bar B and rearward i rom the center line of thelatter. The bars D, extending diagonally from their pivotal connectionswith the bar C, are bent a short distance from the latter and extendoutward in opposite directions and are also pivotally connected-with thecross-bar B by bolts c.

E indicates the hooks for connecting the .traces with the singletree,said hooks extending from or being made solid with the plates d, whichare pivotally secured to the bars D at e. These plates d are each formedwith a recess or opening in their inward ends to receive the ltongues rof the slides o, one of which is movably secured to each of the bars Dby means of a bolt t' passed through a slot s in said bar.

The slides o are provided with springs n to project them and lock thehooks E in position, and each slide has an eye o, to which Each of theslides o has a stud or projection s, which extends into a slot s in abar D. The clips y serve to brace the bars D and hold them to thecross-bar B. Vith the singletree thus constructed with its pivotalconnections With the bar C and with cross-bar B the devices, includingthe cross-bar and the shaftirons, are much less liable to breakage atany point, the strain on the parts being distributed along the line ofthe cross-bar'B. The singletree makes a take-up movement correspondingwith any irregular movement of the horse or vehicle, and the horse isnot struck by the shafts Wagging when a wheel sinks into a depression orrut, the traces serving to draw it out.

Vhen it is desired to detach a horse from the vehicle,the driver drawsthe cord w,which draws inward the slides o and releases the hooks E, andthe plates d, turning on their pivots, the traces slip from the hooks E.

Wood or metal, or both, may be used in making the device.

Vhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a cross-bar of the shafts of a vehicle of acentrally-mounted bar and two other bars extending in oppositedirections and having hooks on their outward extremities, each ot saidtwo bars having a pivotal connection with the said cross-bar and also apivotal connection at its inward end with said centrally-mounted bar,substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. The combination with a cross-bar of the shafts of a vehicle, of acentrally-mounted bar, two other bars pivotally connected atytheirinward ends With said centrally-mounted bar and also having pivotalconnections with said cross-bar, hooks formed on plates, one of which ispivotally connected with each of said two bar s atits outer end,slidin gplates,

IOO

said slides and lock said hooks, and a draw'- cord connected with saidslides whereby the latter may be withdrawn and said hooks released.

In testimony whereof I aX my signatn re in presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT D. MADDOX-a Witnesses:

H. C. ALLEN, J. A. SPENCE.

